17 Cities That Are Getting Richer

The United States is a changing country, and different parts are changing in some profoundly different ways. In some cities, that change has been on what would appear to be a distinctly positive trajectory, with incomes rising sharply in recent history.

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Based on a study from GOBankingRates, there are at least 17 cities in the country that are getting significantly richer since the end of the 1960s. The study considered a range of factors like median household income, population and poverty rates, and then compared the levels in 1969 to 1970 to levels in 2016 to determine which ones are seeing their level of prosperity rise the fastest. Median household income from 1969 to 1970 has been adjusted for inflation for all cities.

Last updated: Nov. 2, 2021

2016 Median Household Income: $42,8021969-1970 Median Household Income: $26,462Change: 62%

Greenboro had a median household income of just over $25,000 in 1969 to 1970 — adjusted for inflation — so although its current figure of just over $40,000 might be below the national median, it’s still a sign of real progress for the city.

2016 Median Household Income: $45,2681969-1970 Median Household Income: $24,935Change: 82%

Norfolk has a median household income just over $45,000, which is over 80% higher than it was at the close of the 1960s. And for someone who’s been living and thriving there that entire time, there might not be any reason to make a change when your career ends: Norfolk is one of the best cities to retire rich.

2016 Median Household Income: $44,0071969-1970 Median Household Income: $24,731Change: 78%

Orlando’s 78% gain on its median household income at the dawn of the 1970s is an impressive shift for the city. But for any big Disney World fan, it’s just not enough. Disney World tickets are now 457.11% more expensive than they were in 1971.

2016 Median Household Income: $45,4991969-1970 Median Household Income: $22,915Change: 99%

Lubbock has just about doubled its median household income over the last 45 years or so, but that hasn’t put the city out of reach for any retirees looking to stretch their nest egg: It’s among the best cities to retire on a budget of $1,000 a month.

2016 Median Household Income: $45,8741969-1970 Median Household Income: $20,794Change: 121%

Tampa has seen a major boost in its inhabitants’ wages, with the median household income rising above $45,000 a year by 2016.

2016 Median Household Income: $48,1271969-1970 Median Household Income: $25,467Change: 89%

Not only has Albuquerque managed to grow its median household income from an inflation-adjusted $25,000 a year to just under $50,000, but it hasn’t let that major growth in income push up the cost of living there. Albuquerque is the best place in the state to live on a fixed income.

2016 Median Household Income: $50,6611969-1970 Median Household Income: $26,531Change: 91%

Not only do Lexington residents now make a median household income over $50,000 a year, but they’re less likely to see that income drained away by excessive housing costs. The cost of an average apartment there is just $725 a month.

2016 Median Household Income: $58,6691969-1970 Median Household Income: $24,879Change: 136%

Located between the hubs of wealth in Southern and Northern California, Bakersfield has shown that even outside California’s biggest cities there has been real growth in recent decades, with Bakersfield climbing above the national median household income.

That said, if you’re well below the average for the city, you might still find Bakersfield a great place to call home as it’s one of the best cities to live in if you make minimum wage.

2016 Median Household Income: $49,8911969-1970 Median Household Income: $25,801Change: 93%

Music City has always been playing the song “We’re In the Money,” with a median household income that was just over an inflation-adjusted $25,000 a year in the 1969-1970 period. Today, that’s just under $50,000 a year.

That said, it could be that the increase in relative prosperity is also driving a real estate market that’s getting much harder for the people of Nashville.

2016 Median Household Income: $48,2561969-1970 Median Household Income: $23,953Change: 101%

Jacksonville has seen incomes adjusted for inflation more than double over the last several decades, turning it from a city where people were struggling to make ends meet to one where the median household income is approaching that of the nation as a whole.

That said, rising incomes might have consequences: Jacksonville is among the least affordable cities for foodies.

2016 Median Household Income: $43,3221969-1970 Median Household Income: $22,503Change: 93%

El Paso’s $43,322 a year for a median household might not sound like a lot, but it’s a big jump over an inflation-adjusted $22,503 from 1969-70.

It’s also potentially plenty to enjoy your time living in South Texas: It’s one of the cities where you can afford to live off of $50,000 or less.

2016 Median Household Income: $56,2271969-1970 Median Household Income: $25,839Change: 118%

Colorado Springs has seen its median household income more than doubled since the late 1960s. And those extra earnings will go further there than most places.

2016 Median Household Income: $39,5481969-1970 Median Household Income: $14,247Change: 178%

Incomes in Laredo are still under $40,000 a year for the median household, but that represents a 178% jump since the beginning of the 1970s, when median incomes were below an inflation-adjusted $15,000.

2016 Median Household Income: $52,1541969-1970 Median Household Income: $22,654Change: 130%

The coastal Texas city of Corpus Christi is currently sitting at over $50,000 a year for its median household income, a 130% increase over where it was just a few decades ago. And those growing wages could be a sign of an improving local economy: Corpus Christi is one of the best cities to score your dream job.

2016 Median Household Income: $58,6411969-1970 Median Household Income: $27,135Change: 116%

Although the median household income of $58,641 is the second-highest in this study, it might still not be enough if you’re living in Raleigh: You need just over $60,000 a year to live comfortably in the city.

2016 Median Household Income: $48,1831969-1970 Median Household Income: $22,641Change: 113%

San Antonio is another city where the median household income has more than doubled — after adjusting for inflation — since the 1969-70 level. That has taken that figure from just over $22,000 then to nearly $50,000 today.

2016 Median Household Income: $60,9391969-1970 Median Household Income: $24,621Change: 148%

Austin has the highest median household income in the present of the cities included in this study and the only one that’s broken the $60,000 a year barrier. That considerable growth in wages would appear to have something to do with the strong local economy as Austin is one of the best cities in the U.S. to start a small business.

If there’s one clear takeaway from this study, it’s that Texas is seeing a sharp increase in median household incomes in its state over the last several decades, particularly for those cities that were struggling in 1969-1970.

Not only are there six different Texas cities on this list — the only other states with more than one are Florida (three) and North Carolina (two) — but Texas has five of the top seven. That includes some marked improvements for some of these cities, with both Corpus Christi and Laredo seeing their poverty rates fall by almost 30 percent over that time period.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates determined which U.S. cities used to be poor and are now rich by analyzing 82 major cities in terms of the following factors: (1) per capita income in 1970, per capita income in 2016, and change over time; (2) median household income in 1970, median household income in 2016, and change over time; (3) population in 1970, 2016 and change over time; (4) poverty rate in 1970, 2016 and change over time, all sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau.